Criminal Background Check Process

All Applicants to the Blinn College Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) Program are required to undergo a criminal background check (CBC). This background check now needs to be completed prior to the beginning of the first semester of the nursing program. The Texas Board of Nursing (BON) will do the CBC through the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). Please note, depending on the individual and other circumstances, this process can take up to 120 days.

If results of the CBC are complete and favorable, the offer of admission to the ADN Program is considered final if all other admission requirements have been fulfilled. If the results are not complete, the offer of admission would be a “provisional” offer until the results are returned. However, if results are not favorable there will be no offer or the provisional offer of admission will be rescinded.

The ADN Program will accomplish this criminal background check as follows:

A roster of names from all fully qualified applications will be created and sent to the BON approximately two weeks after the application deadline. The BON will send a confirmation email to the ADN Program that all student information has been entered into the BON system and issue a "FAST Pass" originator number (this can take up to ten business days). The ADN Program will provide this FAST Pass information to each fully qualified applicant. The applicant is then responsible for making an appointment (online) with MorphoTrust USA (formerly L-1 Identity Solutions) using the originator number provided (on the FAST Pass) to have the fingerprint check completed (see attachment 1, “FAST”, for instructions). Each applicant is required to pay the cost of the background check and finger print scanning. At this time, we understand the cost to be $34.25 for the DPS/FBI check and $9.95 for the fingerprinting services.

Once MorphoTrust has completed the CBC, they will submit the results to the BON. If the fingerprint scan is rejected for some reason, the BON will notify the applicant to request a repeat scan be completed. Otherwise, reports are submitted to the BON in approximately 7 to 10 days.

The BON will then notify the applicant of the results. Only the applicants will know the results of their CBC. Applicants with a clear check will receive a “blue card” indicating the finding. It is very important for applicants to keep the blue card for their records. The applicant is responsible to bring the blue card to the ADN Program’s Administrative Assistant. Applicants who have completed this DPS/FBI CBC will not have to do it again prior to or after graduation from the ADN Program. They will be eligible to sit for the NCLEX examination.

Once the blue card has been received by the ADN Program, the applicant becomes eligible to compete for admission to the program. If an applicant already has a “provisional” offer of admission, the CBC registration hold will be removed and the applicant will be eligible to register for classes as long as all other required materials have also been received/completed.

Applicants with a positive background check will be notified by the BON and asked to submit a petition for a "Declaratory Order." These applicants will not be required to pay the $150 review fee up front. If the nature of the issue can be resolved within the delegated authority of the Operations Department (at the BON), there will be no charge. If the nature of the criminal issue is beyond the delegated authority of the Operations Department and must be transferred to the Enforcement Department for review, the applicant will be billed the $150 review fee. Only upon receipt of the fee will the file be transferred to the Enforcement Department for review.

Until the positive background check is cleared by the BON, the applicant will not be allowed to compete for admission to the program or (if they have a “provisional” offer) be allowed to register for any ADN Program courses. If this is not resolved a week before the new semester starts, the qualified applicant will be ineligible to enter the ADN Program. The application will remain on file and the applicant may re-apply for the following semester.